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Regions of a Personal Check

Here's a numbered list of the key regions of a personal check:

  1. Date Line -- Located at the top right corner. This is where the date of the check is written.

  2. Payee Line -- Usually preceded by "Pay to the Order of," this line is where the recipient's name or business is written.

  3. Numeric Amount Box -- A small box on the right side where the check amount is written in numeric format (e.g., 100.00).

  4. Written Amount Line -- Below the payee line, this is where the check amount is written out in words to prevent fraud or errors.

  5. Memo Line (Optional) -- Located at the bottom left, this line is used to write a note or reference about the purpose of the payment.

  6. Signature Line -- Located at the bottom right, this is where the account holder signs to authorize the check.

  7. Check Number -- Typically found at the top right and also in the MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) line at the bottom, identifying the specific check.

  8. Bank Information -- This section, usually located at the bottom center, contains the bank's name and address.

  9. Routing Number -- Found at the bottom left in the MICR line, this 9-digit number identifies the financial institution.

  10. Account Number -- Located immediately after the routing number in the MICR line, this number identifies the account from which funds will be withdrawn.

  11. MICR Line -- The sequence of numbers at the bottom of the check, which includes the routing number, account number, and check number, encoded in magnetic ink for processing.